Todd Golden’s Gators had a rollercoaster ride this past week, stretching between an embarrassing road blowout at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers to their first true road win of the year — also with a large margin of victory — at the Missouri Tigers.
Florida has not received much attention in the Associated Press Poll this season, having earned a pair of votes in the Week 1 edition on Oct. 16 but nothing since. The good news after Week 12 is that the Orange and Blue are back on the board.
This week’s update gave the Golden’s gang six votes — three times their best showing this season — tied with the Gonzaga Bulldogs with the same tally. This ostensibly puts Florida at a No. 36 ranking overall.
The SEC schools included among the top 25 teams are the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, followed by the Kentucky Wildcats (No. 6) and Auburn Tigers (No. 9). The Alabama Crimson Tide (60) and Ole Miss Rebels (25) also earned votes.
The Gators return home to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs inside the O’Connell Center on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Tipoff time is slated for another late start time at 8:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.